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Show f THAT GIRL sf JOHNSON'S 1 Ty JEA.fi rATB LVVLVM. A.,t,r . "J i I.I.I f .Vr.-r." Jr.. flUrri-d A.-ror1inf to Art of rontr in ih- Yft l-o hr Hft A Smith. In ill Ultiir nt It." Liblstian f ( onti-at, V.iu:f nli. l. ' CHAPTER XIV Continued, "llo It niy Hither, it rid they will ot let mc lit there, yet hi" ran mm him." The nurse laid hor hand caressing-1 caressing-1 on the girl's arm. "Of i nurse," she mill. In a mnttor of fiirt tone. "Itenicinber, Dolores, II l years "Into ln ha Kirn ymir father. fath-er. Ami do on know, on soon nil ho la boiler Wo aro going to Hike him ovor to tlio town so yon onn nurso biro, lo your heart's content Thero uii pretty houses In tlx town, anil your uncle Intends buying one anil furnishing It fur you. There's a fine blacksmith'! shop with a good business busi-ness for your father, anil ho la to havo a housekeeper anil everything comfortable com-fortable wlillo you aro In Now York with tit. "Your uncle will ho romly In a moment, mo-ment, anil ho does nut llko to wait; arou needn't rhiingo voiir dross, nnil -an wenr my wrn nnd bonnet. Iioia will fix everything when yon Ki t there. Hero I her noto; yon have not yi't road It. Shall I rend It tor you whllo you got ready?" Rho sloopcd nml picked up tlio nolo whore 11 had fallen, talking continually, continu-ally, giving tlio fill no tlmo to reply bnil sllO so wished. "Ixira writes snob a pretty hand; they any thosn who dinw will writo well, and Porn mnlioa charming altotchi . Horn In your noto; It rends lllie hor. only ono misses hor prtitly voire." Mr. Allen spoke rapidly, hut with not a trnce of excitement; moro a though alio would glvo tho plrl no tlmo to think. Sho unfolded thu soft gray ahawl. nnd laid It over a chair, then ! a ho oponod the nolo with no break In tho conversation, and road aloud: , "My Ihar Now Cousin: Nurso Al len tin told you I havo come to clnlm you, or rather hnvo como part way to claim you. They will not allow mo to go out today, ao father ha prom-R prom-R Isod mo polcmnly thnt ho will bring If you with Mm to me. Nurso Allen will I'j take food enro of lilni, and hrlng hliu 1 1 to tin hy and by. and wo can bo over til to a"0 him when the weather l dry. (M Olvo him my lovc.e.1 hopo ho In bettor, jtt, and will go to ace 111 m nmn. Como to Pj rno at once; 1 wish you, Dolnroa John- U eon, aud can wall no lunger. ft "uonA." 1 1 CHAPTER XV. 4 s - , OalrM' Rsty- Dolores llatonud quleily. wlib no elgn of Impatience or Interest; aha stood erect and allent, her eyes roat-lng roat-lng calmly on Mra. Allen'a fuco. The bedroom door opened, and hor uncle came out, accompanied by young Croon and Dr. Dunwlddle. llo noticed no-ticed tho wrapa mado ready, and apoke cheerily: "Well my dear, aro you roadyT My Ktrl will be watching for ua eh, Green? And If you are ready we will go at once." Mra. Allen advanced and began putting put-ting tho wrapa around tho girl, but Doloroa Btopped back to avoid hor, giving her a alow glance aa of reproach, re-proach, then iho turned away from the othera toward the phyak-lan who waa talking earnestly to young Oreon t tho farther window. Tliero waa no trace of agitation In the young girl's fat e or manner as alio ml ?s I "You ean tell me If you wJll." erotscd the room to the two at the 'email south window. ! "Dr. Dunwlddlo," ahe anld, gravely, liter eyea wero aearchlng hie fur the truth; ahe never glanced at hla com-ipanlon. com-ipanlon. "Dr. Dunwlddlo," alio con-Itlnucd, con-Itlnucd, alowly and distinctly, "you can tell mo If you will. There la no rea eon why I ahould nut know the truth; la he not my fathorT Hnvo I not a ;rlRht to know? Do you think tills la fair or Just? All the other women of the aottlcmont care for tho men when ithero Is need, there is no remon why I should not do the sumo If there Is nr il. nnd tliero min t bo, elso why nro .there utrnncra here, and why Is ho ! kept so iiulel? I do not unileritar.il It, and I raiim I ui:!e yni will tell me. And here Is my unci" her- walling to take mo nwny from my In. lief, lo ie ivo him to he tulien caro of hy HT.-rr- e: . I do not know my mu le; no doubt he wUhea us well, but he Is a MrniiRor to u tne. Dora does not know," ;i!io lln- goreil over tho nntnc "how could sha know, or I am suro she would not wish me to go; ahe could not wlxh lo go; he would not do It herself you know he would Dot do It huraelf. Do you - i do not know iiiieihinx nils my faiher more than you have Knld?" The hedriMim door openel nolneleis-ly. nolneleis-ly. end lr. tirey a.ne out. Ah he topped into the room, closing the door behind him. Dr Dunwlddlo motioned for him to iei"rn. but ho shook u!r, head einphntli n 1 1 y "H"'i like a log. llnl; tho trump of the aii hiiliii. l alone could arouse him. I've stuck to him day and night like an obedient puppet; now I want a change; what's nil tins going on out here? What alls you people?" Dr. Dunwlddlo frowned, and W" voice was almost sharp as ho answered: an-swered: "Tliero Is nothing going on hero to Interest you, Tom. and Mr. Johnson must not bo left alone ono moment If you aro tired. I will tnko your plnco mi 1 1 1 " Tiitll It's over." tho other Interrupted. Inter-rupted. "Uird knows I wish It were well over; It's a dttsed bad pleco of business, anyhow, and I wish I were out of It." llo was stopped by a rosturo from Dr. Duiiwhblio. Young Croon al.io turned on Mm with tla blug eyes. Dolores Boomed turning Into atone; her f.ne v. as whitening, nnd her eyes dllati!'.':; her vi lee sounded strange even to hors. lf as alio laid her hand on tho doctor's in in as ho was passing her. "You will not go until you hnvo an-wered an-wered me, Dr. Dunwlddle?" It was more a command than a (luery; her eyes were full on hi in. and be irhuaed Instinctively. Her undo spoko Impntlenlly; like all men, ho disliked bi oiicb; this girl scorned capable of getting ono up at almost any moment. "My denr Dolores," ho said, "Dora Is waiting for lit. Why do you bolber tho doctors?" They know much better bet-ter than wo do what la best to bo doi.o. Como, like a good girl, lot us go; we aro only hindering the othera." "Why should I hinder them?" sho asked, gravely. "They aro strangers here; ho la my father." "Yes, of course," ho said, brusquely. "Of course, Dolores. Wo all know that, but they know much bettor than wo do what Is best to ho dono. Dora Is waiting for you It la better In every way for ua to go." Bho stood erect and slender among them, her print gown falling around her to her feet, her faco catching tho shadows of tho storm upon It. "Dlit 1 not mmy." tii voir was el-most el-most solemn In Ua grave earnest noss, "that 1 will not leavo him ever whllo ho lives not for any ono?" None of them spoke for a moment; not one of them was capable of deceiving de-ceiving her as ahe stood so grave and qulot waiting hla reply. That she had a right to know, a better right than thoy, could not be denied. Bho had poken tho truth; ahe waa a woman capable of enduring much, of suffering much: sho waa not a child to be put off with cvaslvo replios. Dr. Urey stood at the bednxim door; he had not n.uveil since the girl spoke; ho impressed him aa ahe Impressed the othei'B. Young (Ireen looked troubled; trou-bled; he atartcd aa though ho would go to Dolores, and checked himself. Kven Dr. Dunwlddlo waa somewhat dls)Uleted; ho looked beyond the girl otu of tho opposite window. They waited for him to speak; the girl knew ha would tell her; tho othera oth-era wero sure he would do what was host. Aa hla gnzo left tho window and be turned to Itolorea, ho caught tho look on your CreenV fnco. Ills own cleared lustuntly; ho was himself again, gruve, prnctlca), a thorough physician phy-sician nnd gentleman. "My dear Miss Johnson," he said- he waa grave, courteous; her eyos did not leave his faco scan hlng, steady eyes "when your father fell fully twenty feet It wus he struck tho ledgo with great forc e; had ho dropped It might scarcely havo hurt him, though It la evident that the ledgo bolow Is rocky and the bushea scrubby scrub-by and aharp; aa It waa, bo lost his balance and slipped down suddenly with a force I wonder did not kill him outright "As It Is, he broke both logs and an arm, besides Internal Injuries which cannot be dotormlned upon at once." flhe watched him atcndltv: Instinc tively she know he had not told her all. Her Hps wore while, and set In a straight line. Mra. Allen crossed over and touched her hand, but ahe paid no heed to her; ahe waa waiting to know tho worBt. "You know how he was brought home," continued Dr. Dunwlddle. "You wero tho ono who found him; to you he owes his life you and Charlie. Hla right leg wns broken bolow the knoe; wo set that and hla arm yesterday, but his left leg " Ilia voice was steady and grave. Mrs. Allen'a face was blanching; how tho girl would tnke It she did not know; bho was used to many affecting Bcenes. but this wiib totally different. "His left log is broken In two placos, Mlis Johnson. Wo did not wish to toll you till the worst wns ovor, but It Is best you should know. Your fathar romtilred so long In that position In the nli-bi dampness, In bis exhausted siate, that we dared do nothing yes-teriluy. yes-teriluy. We wished to savo this limb If It wero possible; It would bo worse than folly to attempt It; It la best that It should go. Then, with careful nursing, nurs-ing, we may bring him around all right." Limy-1 "ill wwi- nif rwwnwwyr- (it'll Dolores did not move: ahn v'.ur.o.l . i unilorMnlnl It lllolum lilv. B.s ei the truth was but slowly duwull.g upon her. "I thoiielil thai you were not capable capa-ble of hearing the irinh; I believed yon were like ninny women: 1 see how mistaken I wns; your friend here." with a movement of his hand and a half smile toward young Oreon. "tried In Impress ilium me that you were braver than oilier women, but 1 would not be convinced 1 know now thnt you are brave brave enough for this and worse " She understood. The truth waa upon up-on her In all the I Ini Mu sa of darkness. dark-ness. Tbeie had been little lovo between be-tween her nnd her faiher. but he was the only one In the world to hor, and now Then bo will die you think?" Hhe asked It calmly, except that her Hps wero whiter than usual and atlff, so thnt the winds rnmo unevenly. uneven-ly. "I think that ho may die. Miss Johnson, but we will hope for the best." "You will let me nurse him?" alio asked. Her fin e was lifted to his, and thero was not a quiver of a muselo. not tho trembling of tho wblto lids fringed Willi Iho silken lashes ovor the steady, searching eyes. "You shall nurao him." Dr. Dnuwld- wmtl fftS "Don't go In yet. Dolorea." die replied, gravely, a llnsli of wondering wonder-ing admiration In his black eyes mooting moot-ing hers In thnt comprhenslvo glance Hint showed to him the depth of tblf woninn'a soul, tho marvelous strength of her self command. Ah, Inilocd alio should nurao him. As ho turned awny toward tho bedroom bed-room sho stnrted to follow him, but Mrs. Allon laid her hand upon her shoulder, and young (ireen crossed quickly to her side his fuco softened strangely, "Don't go In yet, Dolores not jnit yet!" b said, enrreatlnslr, bending his fair head on a level with bora, the Kindly light doepenlng In hla cyea as Ihey mot the half-dar.ed look In bora raised to hla face. "You shall go aa Boon aa It la best I will let you go thero now." Her eyea searched hla face, large and dark and beautiful eyoa thoy were; alio scarcely rocognlicd him for tho moment. "Why should t not go?" ahe asked, gravely. "1 am lo nurse him; Dr. Dunwlddlo has promised that 1 shall, la he not my faiher?" Hut hla hand was upon hor arm strong and warm and tender, and she obeyed him silently. Her undo left soon aftor, and Mra. Allen sent a noto to Dora explaining the strange scene. Dolores said no word. Bho scarcely heard what waa going on around her; when her uncle stooped to kiss her forehead and promised that Dor should come to her as soon as It wero possible she looked through and through Mm; sho heard hla words, but they mado no Impression Im-pression iiKin her; her thoughts wero In tho quiet room beyond tho clusud door. (To be continued.) |
